Abstract:

Abstract
Background
Accidental autoclaving of L-glutamine was found to facilitate the Agrobacterium infection of a non host plant like tea in an earlier study. In the present communication, we elucidate the structural changes in L-glutamine due to autoclaving and also confirm the role of heat transformed L-glutamine in Agrobacterium mediated genetic transformation of host/non host plants.
Results
When autoclaved at 121&#176;C and 15 psi for 20 or 40 min, L-glutamine was structurally modified into 5-oxo proline and 3-amino glutarimide (&#945;-amino glutarimide), respectively. Of the two autoclaved products, only &#945;-amino glutarimide facilitated Agrobacterium infection of a number of resistant to susceptible plants. However, the compound did not have any vir gene inducing property.
Conclusions
We report a one pot autoclave process for the synthesis of 5-oxo proline and &#945;-amino glutarimide from L-glutamine. Xenobiotic detoxifying property of &#945;-amino glutarimide is also proposed.